Foam nozzle



G. F. HURsT FOAM NOZZLE Filed Jan. 15, 1945 QN i Q t IV. v o v N N .M

INVENTOR. Gaoo'v F. Hales?- l 777 r M7 Arras NE YJ.

July 8, 1947.

Patented July 8, 1947 UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE `Forum NozzLE v('Jlordon F. Hurst, San Jose, Calif'.v .Application January 13, 1945, Serial No. 572,633

(ci. asi-116) 3 claims. 1

This invention relates to a foam nozzle such as is used for lighting lires and has for one of its objects the provision of a simpler, more economically made, and more reliable and eflicient nozzle than heretofore in which the shut-off valve and foam nozzle are in a single unit that is easily manipulated as desired.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means in a foam nozzle for improving the foam producing characteristics thereof with respect .to what has heretofore been accomplished.

A still further object of thel invention is the provision of a valved foam nozzle that includes aerating means adapted to produce a better foam than heretofore, and which means is easily and quickly cleaned.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in the drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a part sectional, part elevational view of a nozzle that is illustrative of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken along line 2-2 thereof.

In detail, the device shown in the drawings comprises a valve body I having an inlet 2 at one end thereof for admission of any suitable foam producing solution into said body. Such solution in this invention, is in the water stream before the latter reaches the nozzle, hence the term foam producing solution refers to the foam producing material in the water stream.

An internally threaded swivel coupling 3 is concentric with said inlet and is secured t said body for rotation for threadedly connecting the same with the externally threaded end of any suitable water supply conduit (not shown). A washer l may be provided between said coupling and the annular axially'facing edge of the inlet, while a circular, concave screen or perforated plate 6 may be 'removably secured in said'inlet with its convex side facing the upstream pressure of the foam producing solution admitted through said inlet into the body.

A passageway 1 is formed in said body communicating at one end with said inlet, and coaxial with the latter. The end of said passageway that is opposite said inlet is closed by a wall 8 of said body. This-wall 8 is formed with a plurality of internally threaded. openings arranged with their axes intersecting the axis of the passageway 'I at a point outwardly of said body and said wall 8. In -each of said openings is threadedly secured a jet 9, which jets are coaxial with said openings and thereby are convergent to said point whereby a foam solution passing from the said inlet to wall 8 under pressure will be ejected from said jets in streams that will impinge at said point.

A central opening III and a central jet II I and jets 9. This central jet II is coaxial with passageway 1 and a stream of the foam solution ejected therefrom will be impinged at the aforesaid point by the other streams ejected from jets 9.

Passageway 1 is enlarged intermediate inlet 2 and wall 8 to provide a cylindrical walled chamber for rotatably supporting a cylindrical rotary valve member I2 therein in a position for openingl and closing said passageway to flow of the foam producing solution from the inlet to the jets 9, II and for controlling the rate of such flow.

The valve member I2 is formed with a through bore I3 that is of uniform diameter corresponding with the diameter of the portions of passageway 'I that adjoin said member at opposite sides of the latter, said bore being coaxial with said passageway when the valve member is rotated to open position. A movable segment I4 forms one side of said valve member, which segment is adapted to close the portion of passageway 'I at the downstream ,side of said valve member when the latter is rotated to closed position in a clockwise direction from the open position of Fig. l. A port I5 communicating between bore I3 and theinner side of said segment I4 insures a pressure sealing of said segment in passageway closing position when the valve member is rotated to closed position. This Valve member in itself including segment I4 is of conventional structure.

The said valve member I2 is provided with coaxial stub shafts I6, I1 projecting oppositely outwardly of said body I through suitable openings (Fig. 2). A generally U-shaped handle I8 has its ends secured to the outwardly projecting ends of said shafts for rotating the'valve member when the handle I8 is swung in one direction or the other about the axis of said shafts. It is to be noted that shaft I1 is preferably separable from the valve member being splined or keyed to a smaller projection I9 that is coaxial therewith and with shaft I6, and which projection is integral with the valve member.

To facilitate the insertion and removal of valve member I2 from the body I, one side of the latter includes a plate 20 removably secured in .position closing one end of the cylindrical enlargement in which the valve member I2 is positioned. This plate is screwed into one end of said enlargement `(Fig. 2) and is provided with an opening and packing box 2I through which shaft I6 rotatably extends.

The side or arm of handle I8 that is adjacent the shaft I1 may carry a spring urged detent clement 22 adapted to be releasably urged by spring 23' yinto any one of several outwardly opening shallow recesses formed in the outer side of said body adjacent said element for releasably holding the valve member in the desired adjusted position.

3 A cross bar 23 on handle I8 is provided with a stop member 24 that is adapted to strikeone end of body I when the valve is fully open (Fig. 1)

and which stop will strike the other end of said bodywhen the handle is moved to position 25 for fully closing the valve.

The passageway 'I at each of the opposite sides y to produce a uniform foam.

Secured to the end of body I adjacent wall 8 and projecting axially outwardly of said body be-` yond said wall, as a cage formed of equally spaced ribs 30 that are connected at oneend bya ring 3l, which ring encircles body I at the ,edges of wall 8 and is secured to said body by any suitable means. The opposite ends of said ribs are connected by a similar ring 32 thatis secured to one end of a tube 33. Tube 33 is' coaxial with the body I and with jet II and passageway 1 and its said end is spaced from wall 8 and from jets 9. I I by said ribs.

Ribs 30 are preferably bowed outwardly intermediate rings 3I, 32 relative to the central axis of body I and tube 33 and a central annular bracing rib 34 may integrally connect the ribs intermediate their ends. As ribs 30 are preferably only about four in number it will be seen that there is substantially unobstructed free access of air to the foam solution that is ejected from jets 9, I I into the end of tube 33 that is adjacent said jetsfor aerating said solution at this point. The

spacing of the end of tube 33 from said jets isV such as to provide for the desired aeration of the solution which is facilitated bythe impingement of the several 'streams ejected from said jets at a point adjacent the said end of the tube 33.

The end of tube 33. remote' from body I carries an extension 35 of the same diameter, the latter being connected to tube 33 by a threaded sleeve f coupling 40 for screwing and unscrewing tube extension 35 from tube 33.

A pair of similar annular concave screens 36, f

tubes when the tube 35 is threadedly secured in f sleeve 40. Screen 36 has its convex side facing the inlet end of tube 33 while the convex side of screen 37 faces the outlet end of tube 35.` The two screens preferably combine to form a spherical screen as best indicated in Fig. 1 when the tubes 33, 35 are secured together, and said screens function to materially improve the foam producing characteristics of the nozzle in association with the `iets and aerating means. Also the said screens are easily removed an cleaned by merely detaching the tube 35.

It is to beV understood that the illustrations and description are merely illustrative and descriptive of a preferred form of the invention and are not to be considered restrictive thereof.

I claim:

1. .A foam nozzle comprising'a body having an inlet for admission of. a foam solution into said body anda plurality of outlets arranged for ejection of such solution therefrom in separate streams to convergence thereof outwardly of said body, an open ended aerating tube for receiving said streams in one end thereof `for ejection through the opposite end,'means securing said tube to said body with said one end spaced therefrom for admission of atmospheric air `into said streams and into said one end of said tube, a pair of concave screens in said tube concentric therewith and at a point intermediate the ends thereof, said screens being arranged with their concave sides'in opposed relation.

2. A foam nozzle comprising a body having an inlet for admission of a foam solution into said body and a plurality of outlets arranged for ejection of such solution4 therefrom in separate streams to convergence thereof outwardly of said body, an open ended aerating tube for receiving said streams in one end thereof for ejection through the opposite end, means securing said l tube to said body with said one end spaced therefrom for admission of atmospheric air into said streams and into said one end of said tube, a pair of concave screens in said tube concentric therewith and at a point intermediate the ends thereof, said screens being arranged with theirconcave sides in opposed relation, said tube being divided transversely thereof into two sections and said screens being secured between said sections.

3. A foam nozzle comprising an elongated body formed with a passageway therein coaxial therewith and opening outwardly of said body at one end providing an inlet at said one end, a Wall closing the opposite end of said passageway. -a rotary valve in saidpassageway. spaced from said inlet and said wall, said passageway beingenlarged between said valve and said wall, a plurality of openings formed in said wall spaced equally from the longitudinal axis of said body, a

. jet in each of lsaid openings, said jets being arranged for directing a foam solution to a common point on said axis outwardly of said body for impingement of the streams from said jets at said points, an open-ended aerating tube spaced from said wall and coaxial with said body, means for securing said tube to said body in a position in which one open end of said tube is adjacent said common point whereby the aerated foam solution will be received in said one open end for movement thereof through saidtube and out of the open end of the latter, and a screen in said inlet and in said tube whereby said solutionl is subjected to the action of said screen before and after aeration of the solution.

GORDON F. HURST.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS l Date 

